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131. The Court reiterates that in its Order of 1 October 2019 on the reopening of the
pleadings, it clearly specified the purpose of the Order and the points on which the
parties should provide further clarification. The Court cannot, thus, receive and
consider, in the instant case, new allegations which do not fall within the ambit of
that Order.
B. The Respondent State' s counterclaim
132. The Respondent State submits that the proceedings instituted by the Applicant in
this Court are abusive, void of any serious grounds, tend to satisfy a neurosis and
weaken the State of Benin financially. lt avers that the Applicant seized this Court
for the sole purpose of harming the State. Accordingly, the Respondent State prays
the Court to order the Applicant to pay the sum of One billion five hundred and
ninety-five million eight hundred and fifty thousand (1,59s,Bso,ooo) cFA Francs as
damages.
133. The Applicant challenged the Respondent State's claim for reparation. He asserted
that the proceedings he brought against the Respondent State before this Court are
founded and prays the Court to dismiss its counterclaim.
134. The Court recalls that in the Judgment of 29 March 2019, it declared that it had
jurisdiction to hear the present case and also concluded that the Application fulfilled
all the statutory conditions of admissibility and was thus admissible. The Court also
found a series of violations of the Applicant's rights by the Respondent State, and
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